Fort Bassein/Vasai Fort/ Bacaim is a fort in Vasai in the state of Maharashtra which is about 50km from Mumbai. One can take a Virar local from western line to reach Vasai station and can take an auto to reach the fort. Local buses are also available to reach Vasai(ST buses, VVMT).The fort has been a popular location for many Bollywood movies including the recent Heropanti. The complete form of the Portuguese name is “Fortaleza de São Sebastião de Baçaim” or the Fort of St. Sebastian of Vasai.
The Vasai fort is a monument of national importance and is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.The fort which was perhaps a majestic architecture then, now only the ruins of the fort can be seen. The walls of the fort are still in a very good condition.
I remember my first visit to the fort back in 2016. I and my friend took the ST Bus from Thane instead of taking the train. By the time we reach there we were not sure of what to do, so without wasting much time we hired an auto who asked for Rs 100 for the trip which we agreed. As we were passing through the roads and entering the village side we were understanding why it is also referred as Mini Goa sometimes. The auto rickshaw driver gave us some valuable information about the fort, only then we realize that its a huge complex but it was very sad to see that only ruins of this architectural beauty are what is left now.
He dropped us at the main location. Despite being a weekend it was not that crowded. We spotted the Vasai Creek which was near the fort. Then we entered the fort, unfortunately, what remaining is the wall.
It was sad to see that most of the fort was covered with trees. Capturing few picture and images we decided to head to the nearest beach. So we grabbed an auto and went to Suruchi Beach.
Inside Vasai Fort
This beach has lots of pine trees near it there are some places to sit. It was very difficult to walk due to drizzling rain and heavy wind. We had to cross a small strip of seawater to reach to the better portion of the beach. The small strip was almost knee deep. Of course, the beach was converted into a cricket pitch and part of it was made football ground as one can find in Indian beaches.However, we managed to find a sit a near the beach and enjoyed the cool soothing view.
Time really flies fast, especially when you feel relaxed. As there was no Sun visible we decided to head back as it was getting darker. We took an auto back to the station and ST bus back to Thane
Though Vasai fort was not what I expected, still it was a beautiful site to visit. I hope the fort gets renovated soon so that it can attract more tourists.
About Author
Prosenjit Banerjee is a digital marketer. He likes exploring new places and enjoys pursuing hobbies of photography, vlogging and blogging. When it comes to entertainment, he prefers watching sitcoms, watching movies of the rom-com, sci-fi, fantasy genres. He is also an avid fan of soccer end enjoys playing it on his play station.
